


Surprise Courtship

by lostinthegoldenpines



Category: Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 19:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20840876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinthegoldenpines/pseuds/lostinthegoldenpines
Summary: Snufkin realizes that if he doesn't confess now, he never well, but it's never occur to him that moomintrolls might have a special way to start up a courtship





	Surprise Courtship

**Author's Note:**

> For the ever wonderful @catkingestheim and @snufmin-prompts, who had the lovely snufmin prompt on their wonderful blog!

The air was perfumed by tamaracks and evergreens, the thick heavy scent of their golden pitch crusted over reddish-brown trunks tickled Snufkin’s nose as he and Moomin explored deeper up Lonely Mountain. Moomin had a basket of pinecones while Snufkin carried a basket of mushrooms he had been gathering. Moomin was talking about a project he planned to do with the pinecones, but Snufkin was only half listening. Heart racing in his ears, He was realizing that if he didn’t confess now, he never would. They were far away from any prying gossips, or annoying siblings like Little My or Sniff. Stinky was currently in the county jail (and rightfully so, Snufkin felt the only people two kinds of people who belonged behind bars were strict Park Keepers and Stinky). No parental units were out and about to tease or potentially mess up the confession. So. It had to be now or never.

“Moomin?” Snufkin spoke up, his voice warbling a bit, his paws shaking.

“Hm? What is it, Snufkin? Are you alright?” Moomin looked up from the pinecones that he was selecting to put in his rather full basket. “Is everything alright?”

“No. Yes. Well.” Snufkin took a deep breath, his heart threatening to explode out of his chest. He wouldn’t stop himself this time. He wouldn’t change the subject, nor would he play the “what if” game with himself. No. He was going to be a young man worthy of the wonderful troll and he would be honest. “I’m. Well. This is. This is going to be hard to admit, I suppose.” His mouth felt a bit dry. Slowly he put down his basket and accepted the water flask from Moomin, who looked very concerned. His face warming up, Snufkin went over to inspect the colorful lichen dangling from the tree branches while he took a sip of water, nearly choking it back up. “I…” Snufkin’s voice was shaky.

“Snufkin? Is everything alright? If it’s too hard to talk about now, we can talk about it later. I don’t want you to be stressed out.” Moomintroll took a step forward before stopping, clearly wanting to give the murmrik his space despite clearly wanting to comfort him.

Snufkin’s heart pounded, but this time it wasn’t panicked or frenzied. Moomin’s kindness, his sweetness, the depth of empathy he held in his heart warmed Snufkin’s very soul. He felt emboldened and stood up taller and took a deep breath before looking into Moomin’s considerate and concerned eyes.

“I’m in love with you, Moomintroll. I have been for years, and I feel like it’s dishonest to keep the truth from you, especially when the fact of the matter is that I would very much like to court you.” Snufkin’s knees shook a little, but he said it as matter of factly as he could but with all the sincerity he could summon up. He took off his hat, trying to be as gentlemanly as a murmrik could possibly be. He had washed and combed his hair for this very moment, had bathed and washed his clothes (he had been appalled at how dirty the water had been and was resolved to do laundry more often).

Moomin stared at him for a moment or two, his mouth agape before he dropped his basket of pinecones and actually ran off.

Well. That had been absolutely unexpected. Of all the scenarios that had run through Snufkin’s head of how this situation would turn out, he could honestly, honestly say that rejection had truly not occurred to him. He had thought…he had thought that Moomin secretly returned his feelings. This was horrifying. It was so utterly soul crushing. Eyes stinging with tears, Snufkin dropped down to the forest floor wrapping his arms around his knees, biting back the sobs. He wished he had never said anything! He could have lived with these secret feelings so long as it meant Moomin being in his life. But Moomin running away? He had never in a thousand years guessed that would have happened. The ache seemed to be growing like a void. What if Moomin never spoke to him again? What if he could never return to the valley?

He heard a small cough and looked up through the hot tears. Things were a bit blurry, so he wiped away his tears and stood up, spotting Moomin. Puzzled, Snufkin took a few steps forward, frowning a bit. Moomin hadn’t run off after all, why he was only three trees away. But why? He took another step forward, and Moomin didn’t move. He looked a bit shy, and eager. His ears were not just twitching but actually flapping. Another step and Moomin ran off again, only three trees away. He looked around, his ears twitching but his tail positively wagging. A blush of pink crawling across Moomin’s nose.

A hopeful flutter stirred in his stomach. Was this a sort of courtship game moomtrolls did? He knew that Moominpappa rather liked to do odd traditions of the trolls, and perhaps this was one of them that had been passed down to Moomin? Wordlessly Snufkin trotted forward, trying not to be too eager, in case he was misinterpreting the situation. He normally hid his tears, but he left one or two fat ones to drop down from his chin just to let Moomin know he needed words to understand what was taking place. A flash of guilt crossed Moomin’s face and he ran only two trees away this time. This time when Snufkin approached, he did not run away, but hid behind the tree. Snufkin slowly reached out and put his hand to the rough bark, slowly walking around. He could hear the steps of Moomin on the other side and saw a quick flick of the tail. Speeding up Snufkin hurried around the tree, as did Moomin. Then quite suddenly, as Snufkin reached out to grasp Moomin’s paw, Moomin whirled around, stretching out his arms. Snufkin yelped in surprise, tripping over his big boots and crashing into Moomin. they tumbled down together in the pine needles and moss, Moomin laughing. Snufkin, flushed from embarrassment, tried to detach himself and crawl off of Moomin, but Moomin held him tightly and rubbed his large snout against Snufkin’s. Snufkin’s entire body felt warm and prickly with goosebumps as he realized he was being kissed.

“Moomin!” He gasped. Moomin sat up and enveloped Snufkin in a massive hug, his ears and tail pink and twitching.

“I love you too, Snufkin! I very much would like to court you!”

“Well why didn’t you say so right away instead of running off and making me feel like a rejected fool?” Snufkin cried out. He wasn’t bitter but he was certainly a bit put off by it all. He had been so broken hearted within that moment, and now to be cuddle and kissed by one he so ardently adored and loved? It was too much of an emotional whiplash. 

“It’s a moomintroll courtship tradition! You’re supposed to chase me around until I let you catch me and then we dance under the moonlight and hold hands and tell each other love poems—”

“Bah, traditions! You should have just told me!” Snufkin protested. Moomin responded by giggling, but he did admit that perhaps it was a silly tradition if the other person involved was unaware of it completely. They curled up, fingers interlacing, giggling, Moomin wiping away any last remaining tears of Snufkin’s.

“Do murmrik’s have any courting traditions?”

“I have zero ideas. I can guess what a mymble’s traditions are. Besides, I’m a snufkin. Perhaps snufkins have their own style, but I have no idea. I suppose I’ll just have to make up my own traditions.” Snufkin shrugged, reaching out carefully to stroke Moomn’s soft cheek. Moomin snuggled into the embrace.

“Oh? Perhaps you could show me?”

Snufkin arched an eyebrow, leaning up on his elbow to gaze down at the beautiful troll sprawled out in the moss and pine needles, the tuft of his tail twitching across the earth. Moomin was blushing. Snufkin thought he might die from the cuteness.

“Please?”

“Is that alright?” Snufkin could barely breath. Moomin nodded his head vigorously. Gently Snufkin leaned in and rubbed his nose against Moomin’s, and then kissed him gently on the forehead a few times. “Well?” He asked rather breathlessly.

“Oh yes, that’s quite a marvelous tradition to start up.” Moomin hummed, taking Snufkin’s paws in his and kissing them gently. Snufkin startled and blushed at the gentle kisses. Moomin was just as pink, and they giggled together, their foreheads touching as a warm breeze shook the branches gently overhead.


End file.
